Well I'm just beyond the break in period for this car and loving every minute of it.. Just in time I'd say for quite an experience I had last evening that I thought I might share here. If anything, but to share the three things I learned last night... 1. How bloody fast this car is... 2. How stupid street racing can be... and 3 .How stupid and rather small minded people can be..
Well here it is.. for your enjoyment..and comment

I was on the way home from work at about 930.. I greet such long nights with a grin on my face as I can look forward to a rather solitary evening on the road.. just me and the car.. radio off listening to the engine howl. But on this particular evening. as I"m pulling away from the office on a rather secluded residential street with a posted limit of 30mph, a grey 98-01 ( approximately) Lotus Esprit V8 Turbo pulls alongside, the driver giving me a rather askance look , scraggly gray curly hair.. betraying his age. I putter along in third gear and he sees my lack of interest so hammers it off through the twisties ahead at speeds of up to 90 mph narrowly missing the curb .. But again we meet up.. this time at the traffic light prior to the freeway onramp. me just behind him, idling... him aggressively revving.. hoping for some competition..Should I oblige? possibly..
The light turns green and we both trundle along in second until we reach the delta... four lanes open up.. unobstrusively. sparse traffic ahead.. I look over and give three gentle nudges to my throttle to signal my intent.. and off we go. Head to head through third, fourth, fifth, he only has 5, I go through 6 through 120, and 125 at which I am at least 3 car lengths ahead after which I brake to 65, knowing that this is it for me... I am not going to further risk myself or others around me... This , of course, much to his chagrin.. as he fires off at 120 through intermittent traffic barely missing cars ahead. finally pulling off at my exit 1/4 mile down the road.
Unfortunately I run into this veritable village idiot again at the traffic light ahead of me .. This time he knows not that its me... His Lotus..notorious for poor rear visibility.. although now I am in S mode.. and maybe he can hear the low burble of my engine at idle.
I am the in right lane, and he in the left.. side by side.. still not noticing me.. yet he tires of the old lady in front of him... and decides to pass.. suddenly swerving towards me.. almost grazing me as I honk.. he suddenly corrects himself until I pass.. Now we are both in the left lane... me three cars ahead... But.. this.. is where he decides to abandon any semblance of sanity... and plows ahead with reckless abandon.. he passes...where does he pass? Through the center turning lane... in between our two lanes and the two oncoming lanes.. forges ahead at 120 mph in a posted 45 mph street... psses approximately 20 cars before suddenly swerving back into the lane. slamming on the brakes and pulling off at a side street moments before my Escort SR-X picks up the Ka Band signal of an oncoming copper... Man o man... what can i say.. self explanatory me thinks... But then again.. would I have behaved the same had I been handled by a 4 door saloon that I did not likely recognize for what it was... particularly when I was driving an overhyped Back to the Future looking late 80s early 90s bastion of cheesiness? One that Don Johnson would drive with pride? who knows.. and who am I to say...

[IMG]local://upfiles/38288/602DD2BCC13D4DE98E5967BD5F81717E.jpg[/IMG]

 

Ummm.... okay. This reminds be of a story Elaine would write for Mr. Petermans's catalog in "Seinfeld." What were you wearing at the time? That's the only thing you need to add. You raced all the way into 6th gear and was only at 125mph? I'm no expert on RS4s, but my car will go 175mph in 5th. So what tail gear ratio do you have in that thing? 5.11:1?

 

ha.. mea culpa... i guess vivid description is lost on some... one of the points made was.. this car is not one I redline , nor come close to... my effort was not even close to all out.... and thanks again for the elaine imagery

 

It would have been more fun had he gotten nailed by the 5-0, but still good!